Abbas claims to Israeli delegation that he wants “peace through negotiations,” in contrast to messages to Palestinians
Headline: “The [PA] president: [UN] Security Council Resolution 2334 is a clear message that settlement will not lead to peace”
“[PA] President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Paris peace conference (i.e., part of the French Peace Initiative) that will be held this month [January 2017] constitutes an international opportunity for a solution of the Palestinian issue by determining an international mechanism and a timetable for implementation. This was said during his meeting last evening [Jan. 5, 2017] at the [PA] presidential headquarters in Ramallah with an Israeli delegation that included hundreds of academics, writers, and political activists who support peace and who signed a petition that supports holding the Paris peace conference…
The president said: ‘We want to achieve peace through negotiations, and we oppose any other path and will not allow turning to it. We always declare that we are against terror, extremism, and violence everywhere in the world.’ The president noted that the arrival of the Israeli delegation despite all of the obstacles that were placed in its path by several parties emphasizes that there is a majority within the Israeli people that wants peace and is striving for it, and we extend our hands to peace and to an end of the occupation…
He added: ‘We do not want to go to the UN or to the Security Council, but some have placed obstacles to peace, and therefore we went and we will also go to the peace conference in Paris in order to bring about peace.’ The president expressed appreciation for the initiative of the Israeli delegation to support the Paris conference, and referred to the significance of the support for it within Israeli society, as well as from the international community, so that it will succeed and peace will be saved.
A number of Israeli members of the delegation gave speeches, in which they emphasized their full support for peace based on the two-state solution, and that the establishment of the State of Palestine is an Israeli interest because it will bring security and stability to the Israeli people.
They noted that the Israeli government must not lose time in striving for peace, and that President Abbas constitutes a historical opportunity for ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”
UN Security Council Resolution 2334 was passed on Dec. 23, 2016, by a vote of 14-0 with one abstention.
The resolution condemned the establishment of Israeli "settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem," saying it "has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace." It demanded that Israel “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities” in the area. The resolution further said “it will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines” other than changes made through negotiations, in reference to the 1949-1967 ceasefire line between Israel and the neighboring Arab countries following Israel's 1948 War of Independence.
The resolution called “upon all States… to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967.” It also called "to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, as well as acts of provocation and destruction... and to clearly condemn all acts of terrorism," and noted the obligation of "the Palestinian Authority Security Forces to maintain effective operations aimed at confronting all those engaged in terror and dismantling terrorist capabilities."
The US abstained instead of vetoing the resolution, in a breach of longstanding US policy of not allowing the UN to force conditions on Israel in place of direct negotiations. This policy change came during US President Barack Obama’s final weeks in office.
Extra info: http://www.un.org/webcast/pdfs/SRES2334-2016.pdf
The French Initiative – A peace initiative proposed by the French PM Hollande’s government in 2015 aimed at reviving peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. A one-day summit was held in Paris on June 3, 2016, attended by foreign ministers of the US, EU countries, and several Arab countries, for the purpose of advancing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. At the end of the summit, participants issued a joint communique supporting a negotiated two-state solution and proposing an international conference before the end of the year. Israelis and Palestinians did not participate in this first summit, the purpose of which was to establish a framework for renewed negotiations between the two.
“[PA] President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Paris peace conference (i.e., part of the French Peace Initiative) that will be held this month [January 2017] constitutes an international opportunity for a solution of the Palestinian issue by determining an international mechanism and a timetable for implementation. This was said during his meeting last evening [Jan. 5, 2017] at the [PA] presidential headquarters in Ramallah with an Israeli delegation that included hundreds of academics, writers, and political activists who support peace and who signed a petition that supports holding the Paris peace conference…
The president said: ‘We want to achieve peace through negotiations, and we oppose any other path and will not allow turning to it. We always declare that we are against terror, extremism, and violence everywhere in the world.’ The president noted that the arrival of the Israeli delegation despite all of the obstacles that were placed in its path by several parties emphasizes that there is a majority within the Israeli people that wants peace and is striving for it, and we extend our hands to peace and to an end of the occupation…
He added: ‘We do not want to go to the UN or to the Security Council, but some have placed obstacles to peace, and therefore we went and we will also go to the peace conference in Paris in order to bring about peace.’ The president expressed appreciation for the initiative of the Israeli delegation to support the Paris conference, and referred to the significance of the support for it within Israeli society, as well as from the international community, so that it will succeed and peace will be saved.
A number of Israeli members of the delegation gave speeches, in which they emphasized their full support for peace based on the two-state solution, and that the establishment of the State of Palestine is an Israeli interest because it will bring security and stability to the Israeli people.
They noted that the Israeli government must not lose time in striving for peace, and that President Abbas constitutes a historical opportunity for ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”
UN Security Council Resolution 2334 was passed on Dec. 23, 2016, by a vote of 14-0 with one abstention.
The resolution condemned the establishment of Israeli "settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem," saying it "has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace." It demanded that Israel “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities” in the area. The resolution further said “it will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines” other than changes made through negotiations, in reference to the 1949-1967 ceasefire line between Israel and the neighboring Arab countries following Israel's 1948 War of Independence.
The resolution called “upon all States… to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967.” It also called "to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, as well as acts of provocation and destruction... and to clearly condemn all acts of terrorism," and noted the obligation of "the Palestinian Authority Security Forces to maintain effective operations aimed at confronting all those engaged in terror and dismantling terrorist capabilities."
The US abstained instead of vetoing the resolution, in a breach of longstanding US policy of not allowing the UN to force conditions on Israel in place of direct negotiations. This policy change came during US President Barack Obama’s final weeks in office.
Extra info: http://www.un.org/webcast/pdfs/SRES2334-2016.pdf
The French Initiative – A peace initiative proposed by the French PM Hollande’s government in 2015 aimed at reviving peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. A one-day summit was held in Paris on June 3, 2016, attended by foreign ministers of the US, EU countries, and several Arab countries, for the purpose of advancing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. At the end of the summit, participants issued a joint communique supporting a negotiated two-state solution and proposing an international conference before the end of the year. Israelis and Palestinians did not participate in this first summit, the purpose of which was to establish a framework for renewed negotiations between the two.